"Anousheh Ansari will become the first Muslim woman in space. She is a secular Shiite"

Just as a definitional point, how is one a secular Muslim? I can understand the concept with Jews, as an ethnic Jew could be secular, Christian or even Muslim. But as Islam is not an ethnicity (best argument against racial profiling), it would seem the concept does not translate.

Just as a definitional point, how is one a secular Muslim? I can understand the concept with Jews, as an ethnic Jew could be secular, Christian or even Muslim. But as Islam is not an ethnicity (best argument against racial profiling), it would seem the concept does not translate.

One can live a generally secular lifestyle, while still believing in a religion. Perhaps I should have said "liberal Shiite" to make the point clearer.

A great accomplishment, but the line about women not being allowed to study math or science in Iran is plain flat factually wrong. I've got a transcript on my desk in front of me right now from an Iranian woman who's completed such degrees, and it's nothing unusual. Sorry, this claim is about like the yellow badge story.

Now, if the story was that someone openly liberal and secular had a hard time getting into the university, that is quite believable.

A lot of Iranian exiles here are quite reasonably bitter about what's happened to their country, and want to change it. Unfortunately some of them (Amir Taheri is a prime example) will say damn near anything to further their cause.

You've seen the transcript, but have you seen the woman? Or some other woman who in fact studied math and science in Iran? I'm not saying it doesn't happen but the evidence you've presented us with could be disinformation.

Like the cases Adrian mentions, these are Iranian women coming to the US for graduate work, and yes I've seen some in person (the paperwork in front of me is part of an application package). Of course Adrian has a good point that things could have been tougher in the early 80's when Ms. Ansari was of college age.